The White House announced on Thursday that it will expand the list of Russian oligarchs close to President Vladimir Putin who are hit with sanctions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The move alienates elites from the U.S. financial system and freezes their assets, allowing officials to seize their luxury apartments, superiors, private jets and other property.
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Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, is among the individuals and relatives who are being punished. the president of Transneft, Nikolai Tokarev; Yevgeniy Prigozhin, Boris Rotenberg; Arkadi Rotenberg; Sergei Chemezov, Igor Shuvalov and one of the richest billionaires in Russia, Alisher Usmanov.
The Biden administration blames the oligarchs for providing the critical resources to support Putin’s invasion.
“The Treasury has pledged to hold Russian elites accountable for their support for President Putin’s election war,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. “Today, across the U.S. government and in coordination with partners and allies, we are demonstrating our commitment to imposing massive costs on Putin’s closest confidants and their families and freezing their assets in response to the brutal attack on Ukraine.” .
Usmanov, a close ally of Putin, is also being sanctioned by the European Union. It has large holdings in the Russian economy, including the metal and mining, telecommunications and information technology sectors. He and Putin allegedly also have financial ties, according to the Treasury Department.
Usmanov is the owner of the world’s largest superyacht, the Dilbar, which includes two heliports and has one of the largest indoor swimming pools in the world on a boat. It is estimated to be worth between $ 600 million and $ 735 million, and it costs about $ 60 million a year to maintain.
Photo courtesy of the Department of Finance
Usmanov is also the owner of one of the largest privately owned aircraft in Russia. The Airbus A340-300, known as the Bourkhan, is worth between $ 350 million and $ 500 million. Under the sanctions, any U.S. or U.S. dollar-related transaction related to the superyacht and aircraft, such as maintenance, staffing, or landing, as well as mooring fees are prohibited. .
Photo courtesy of the Department of Finance
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Another oligarch facing US sanctions is Nikolai Tokarev. He served with Putin in the KGB as an agent in East Germany in the 1980s and is now chairman of the Russian state-owned gas pipeline company Transneft, which is responsible for transporting 90 percent of its oil to Russia.
His wife Galin and daughter Maiya Tokareva are also facing sanctions. According to the Treasury Department, the Tokareva real estate empire is valued at more than $ 50 million in Moscow alone and includes three companies, one of which has an island villa built by Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph I 19th century in Croatia.
Prigozhin, who was previously sanctioned for attempting to interfere in the US election, is also on the list. He is the financier of the Internet Research Agency and is accused of efforts to sow discord in Ukraine, as well as other attempts to spread misinformation around the world. The U.S. also determined that the IRA had spread misinformation on social media in the U.S. during the 2016 election. His wife and two children are also being sanctioned.
The Biden administration also announced on Thursday that 26 people based in Russia and Ukraine and seven Russian entities are being sanctioned in connection with Russia’s efforts to spread misinformation about its aggression in Ukraine.
The final round of sanctions will reach the Justice Department on Wednesday launched a new working group hold Russian elites and corrupt leaders accountable. The Treasury Department will share financial intelligence and other evidence with the Department of Justice to support criminal proceedings and assist with the confiscation of property.
Along with the latest round of sanctions, the U.S. is also imposing visa restrictions on 19 oligarchs and 47 of their close relatives and collaborators.
The State Department will also target 22 defense-related companies, which include companies that develop and produce military equipment such as fighter jets, missiles and other Russian military vehicles.
Since the Russian invasion began, the Biden administration has launched several rounds of broad sanctions against Russian financial institutions and elites, including the Central Bank of Russia, the country’s largest financial institutions, and Putin himself.
- In:
- Biden Administration
- Ukraine
- Russia
- Vladimir Putin
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